Brick support



D. A. WALLACE ET AL BRICK SUPPORT Filed March 20, 1936 IN V EN To RS Jay/'0 /7 IVa/kzre [age/7e We //a ge 1 0 Z d 5 5 wm 4. 4 .4 w J in w aw 1:; 4 5 0 a M x j m 3 ATTORNEYS k frictional conditionwherein the bricks. or facing ;ing-elements into resilient membersmade prefsurface' cold; rolled. low carbon steel or high carbe'tween the resilient members and the bricks of theLbrick.

. provement in some respects onthe invention. disassembly;

awaits Patented Dec. 28,. 1937 a 1 UNITED STATES PATENT orrics Y f zgloascs' I BRICK SUPPORT David A. Wallace and Eugene Wallace, Detroit, Mich; said Eugene Wallace assignor to said David A. Wallace 7 Application March 210, 1936, seen No. 69,904

p 11 Claims. (01. 72-19) The present invention pertains tomea'ns for Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of attaching bricks or facing elements to the walls Fig. 1;

'Figs; 3 and 4 are elevations of astrip with the resilient securing means thereon;

' Fig.5 is an elevation of a strip illustrating another formation of the securing means;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section thereof;

Fig. '7 is an elevation illustrating a double acting securing means. attached to the strip, and 'Fig. 8 is a side elevation thereof.

. Like characters of reference are employed throughout to designate corresponding parts.

7 7 Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 the numeral 1 designates a wall having a'plurality of spaced apart strips Zsecured theretmthe securing rheans1comprising nails 3 which are driven through'preformed apertures in the strips land into the wall I. Formed integral withthe strips 2 are'pairs .of flexible arms-4 having inwardly. bent portions 5 frictionally engaging adjacent surfaces of bricks or facing elements 6. Y Each arm? 4fhas'a portion 7 spaced from the normal plane of its respective strip 2 and these portions 1 provide seats for the bricks 6. ,The

inwardly bent portions 5 are supported by .the

arms 4, prior to insertion of the bricks is, in a position where the space between pairs of the same is slightly less than the width of the brick so ,that when the bricks are inserted therebetween. the arms 4 are flexed outwardly. The strips? 2 and the integral formations thereon are formed of spring metal so that the natural tendency of" the arms to spring back totheir original position" after the insertion of the bricks .sets up afriction condition which firmly holds; the bricks against the seat formations i.

In order to facilitate the insertion of the bricks the inwardly bent portions 5 are disposed with their outer surfaces oblique to the'plane of the strips 2. Thus the oblique outer surfaces permit. the insertion of the bricks quite readily. In addition, the angularity of the portions 5 places them oblique to a plane normal to the surface of the brick they engage so that a sharp corner thereof engages the brick, and this feature augments the frictional holding function.

After the bricks are assembled as above described the spaces or voids between the same .are filled with mortar, or in. some cases an asphaltic material. Whatever material is used has a tendency to run down slightly into .the spaces be tween thebricks and the surface of the wall 5. It will thus be seen that the seating formations l are important in that by spacing the bricks from the wall I the subsequent insertion of moror supports of abuilding structure.

The primary object ofthe present invention is to providega structure wherein bricks or other facing elements are heldin position with respect to a pro-formed wall or:support by frictional resistance induced by inserting the bricks or facerably of flexible steel and having openings for the reception of. the bricks or facingv elements which'before insertion of thebricks or facing elementsarefof smaller; width than such. elements. The natural tendency ofxthe resilient members to spring back-:to their original form sets up a elements are firmly held. The-friction, obviously, will vary'withthe resiliency o'f the'material used and also according to surface conditionszofthe elements-being held. However,- in the case: of bricksor like facing elements having-a rough bon. steel tempered may be used with the; amount of actual springing not exceeding a'very small fraction of ariinch and with the;lineal,contact amounting'to only a small fraction of the length Another object of the present invention is toprovideclip-like brick supportin'gelements, each set of which is adapted to separately engage and support; a brick; and the several sets of clip-like like elements this feature positively maintains the elements in proper spaced relation for the subsequent receptionof the bricksnyFrom an economical standpoint the present structure has the advanta'genver our co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 67381, filed March 6, 1936, wherein individual clips are preformed. and subsequently secured to strips or supports in that less metal is required, several assembly steps are eliminated, and several machinepperations are avoided. This invention, therefore, constitutes an imclosed in theapplicationreferred to. I

With. the above and other ends in view theinventionis. more fully disclosed with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure L is a fragmentalelevation of a Wall tar or cement between the bricks results in the formation of a dead air pocket behind each brick. Dead air is known to have high insulating qualities, but in the event that structures are so formed that this dead air does not provide sufficient insulation a separate insulating material may be used. Inasmuch as the application of a separate insulating material is shown in our co-pending application Serial No. 67,481, above referred to, the showing has not been duplicated here.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, there is illustrated a strip l similar to that described above, illustrating however, a different proportionat arrangement. The strip l0 has portions along its sides cut away as indicated at l l to provide pairs of arms ii. The arms l2 have integral inwardly bent portions i3 adapted for engagement with bricks or other facing elements. The arms l2 are integrally connected with the strip ill by portions it which extend parallel to the strip is and which constitute seats for bricks which are subsequently inserted between pairs of the inwardly bent portions l3. The strip ID has apertures l5 symmetrically arranged between adjacent sets of retainers l3 for receiving securing elements. The particular location of the apertures I5 is important in view of the fact that in order to provide for a frictional holding action by the retainer portions l3 which are normally spaced apart a distance less than the width of a brick it is necessary to secure the strip to a support in such manner that it will not buckle and permit the retainers 3 to spread apart. By subsequently securing the strip Hi to a support by inserting securing elements through the apertures IS the portion of the strip between the cutouts II is held rigid so that the flexing necessary to permit insertion of the bricks takes place in the arms l2. By forming the unit of metal having a predetermined gauge and known resiliency any desired degree of resilient pressure may be provided.

In the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the strip 20 is severed in such manner as to form integrally united struck up portions which are subsequently bent to form a seat formation 2|, resiliently flexible arms 22 and integral inwardly bent brick retainer portions 23. The openings 24 resulting from: the formations above described are spaced inwardly from the sides of the strip, and are also spaced one from another as indicated by the web portion 25 disposed intermediate each pair of retainers 23. The web portions 25 are each pro vided with an aperture 26 through which nails or other securing elements are subsequently driven. to secure the strip to a support. The securing elements are thus located with respect to the retainers so as to prevent buckling of the strip by insertion of bricks between the retainers '23 which have a width greater than the normal spacing of the retainers.

The strips illustrated at 2 and In each have a pair of retainers in side by side relation, the retainers being formed integral with the strip and being capable of engaging surfaces which are not in direct alignment. This feature permits the adjacent retainers to adapt themselves to bricks or facing elements having irregular surfaces. As illustrated in Figs. '7 and 8, this same function may be duplicated by a clip which is formed separately from the strip and subsequently secured thereto. As shown in these views the strip 30 has a clip 3| secured thereto by rivets or equivalent securing means 32. Each clip has bifurcated arms 33 with retainer portions 34 bent outwardly thereof. In a wall assembly a series of clips 3| are secured to the strip in spaced apart relation and the bricks are subsequently inserted between adjacent pairs of clips. The bifurcated arms 33 support the retainers 34 in such manner that they may adapt themselves independently to surface irregularities on the bricks.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described it will be understood that various changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention, and such changes are contemplated.

What we claim is:--

1. A device adapted for supporting bricks comprising a metal blank of strip form, said strip being severed and having the severed portions bent from the plane of the strip and extending substantially normal to the plane of the strip, the extremities of the severed portions being bent inwardly whereby the edges thereof provide retainers for the reception of facing elements, said severed portions and retainers being resiliently flexible, and said retainers being spaced apart a normal distance less than the width of the bricks they are adapted to receive.

2. A device adapted for supporting bricks comprising a metal blank of strip form, said strip being severed and having the severed portions bent from the plane of the strip and extending substantially normal to the plane of the strip, and knife-like retainers on the extremities of said bent portions, said severed portions and. retainers being resiliently flexible, and said retainers being spaced apart a normal distance less than the width of the bricks they are adapted to receive.

3. A device of the character described comprising a metal blank of strip form, said strip being severed and having the severed portions bent from the plane of the strip and extending substantially normal to the plane of the strip, the extremities of the severed portions being bent inwardly to provide retainers for the reception of facing elements, said inwardly bent portions being disposed oblique to the plane of said strip.

4. A device of the character described comprising a metal blank of strip form, said strip being severed and having the severed portions thereof bent from the plane of the strip, said severed portions being bent in such manner as to provide spacer elements off-set from the plane of the strip, flexible arms disposed outwardly of the spacer elements, and retainers on the ends of said arms.

5. In a device of the character described, a metal blank of strip form having severed portions, the said severed portions being bent outwardly of the plane of the strip and forming pairs of resiliently flexible arms, the ends of said arms being bent to present knife-like edges adapted to frictionally engage facing elements.

6. In a device of the character described, a metal blank of strip form having severed portions, the said severed portions being bent outwardly of the plane of the strip and forming pairs of resiliently flexible arms adapted to frictionally engage facing elements, and spacer elements between pairs of said arms and off-set from the plane of said strip.

7. In a device of the character described, a metal blank of strip form having severed portions, the said severed portions being bent outwardly of the plane of the strip and forming pairs of resiliently flexible arms adapted to frictionally engage facing elements, said strip having means located between the pairs of arms adapted for engagement by facing elements inserted therebetween for limiting the depth of insertion of the facing elements.

8. In a device of the character described, a metal blank of strip form, said blank being severed and having the severed portions bent to respectively form runs extending parallel to the strip and in a plane oil-set from the plane of the strip, runs extending substantially normal to the plane of said strip, and runs extending at an 'angle to said last named runs.

9. In a device of the character described, a metal blank of strip form, said blank being severed and having the severed portions bent to respectively form runs extending parallel to the strip andin a plane off-set from the plane of the strip, runs extending substantially normal to the plane of said strip, and runs extending at an angle to said last named runs, the said blank being formed of spring metal whereby to embody resiliency in all of said runs.

10. In a device of the character described, a metal blank of strip form, said strip having severed portions at the sides thereof providing pairs of spaced apart arms, the arms of each pair being spaced transversely of the strip and the pairs of arms being spaced lengthwise of the strip, and retainers on respective sets of said arms and oppositely disposed for engagement with facing elements placed therebetween.

11. In a device of the character described, a metal blank of strip form, said strip having severed portions at the sides thereof providing pairs of spaced apart arms, the arms of each pair being spaced transversely of the strip and the pairs of arms being spaced lengthwise of the strip, retainers on respective sets of said arms and oppositely disposed for engagement with facing elements'placed therebetween, and spacer elements on said arms off-set from the plane of the strip and adapted to be engaged by said facing elements.

7 DAVID A. WALLACE.

EUGENE WALLACE. 

